1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an accounting system and an accounting method for doing accounting for each of executed processes.
2. Background Art
For example, Systems for requesting image processing from a client to a server and executing the image processing in the server are known.
When such image processing is performed, there is a demand to do accounting for each process flexibly in accordance with the mode of the process.
In addition, similarly, there is a demand to do accounting for each process and each font data and the like used for the process flexibly in accordance with the mode of the process.
A system is considered as follows. That is, PCs of users are connected to a print system of a printing company through a network. Drawing data described in a language such as Postscript (Adobe Systems Incorporated™) is transmitted from each user to the printing company. A process (RIP (Raster Image Processing/Processor) process) for unfolding the drawing data into image data such as bitmap data is performed upon the drawing data in the printing company. Further, a color correction process and a print-out process are performed upon the image data.
In such a system, assume that the user is charged for the expenses for the RIP process or the like, for example, whenever the RIP process or the like is performed.
Assume that a series of processes to print out bitmap data subjected to the RIP process and the color correction process are performed normally. In this case, there is no particular problem when regular accounting is done for each process.
Further, the user may want to revise a portion of the document and print it again. In such a case, it is more advantageous and more profitable for the user to be charged not the same fee for the RIP process on the whole document but a fee for the RIP process on the revised portion.
On the other hand, for example, there may be a case where bitmap data can be indeed generated by a RIP process and a color correction process normally but cannot be printed normally due to a failure in network or the like. In such a case, a large and unprofitable burden may be imposed on a user when a fee equal to a regular fee for printing without failure is charged on the user who just makes a request for printing the same drawing data again due to the failure in network.
In addition, when bitmap data obtained in the first processing remains in the server performing such processes and the server reuses the bitmap data, there is no burden for a new RIP process and a new color correction process on the printing company.